November 20, 2006

The day after President Bush admitted the Republicans had taken a thumping, the headline in the Orange County Register read, “President Bush Is Listening.” Now this is a high profile selling message. Our President is learning the first fundamental of selling.

For too long and even days before the election, President Bush and the Republican Congress have been touting their agenda. I’m sure their intentions are good and they may even be right. But it doesn’t matter unless you feel, “I’d rather be right than reelected to Congress.” Somebody – Henry Clay?? - said something like that.

See voters felt their representatives weren’t listening. Selling (getting chosen) is winning the votes of the decision makers. The best way to do that is to give each what he or she wants.

Most poor sales people believe selling is beating the competition or giving people what they need. Competitors win. They do not beat you. They gave what was wanted, better. This subtlety is mega.

As for need, if we bought what we needed (even business to business), our GNP would be the same as Uganda’s and most retailers would be out of business. These same unelected sellers believe their customers don’t know enough and they have to promote what they have. Believe me, customers know about you. The bigger issue is, what do you know about you’re customers? If you retort by saying they are all alike, you’ll be surprised!!!!!

Politics is selling. Everything is selling, but not in the sense that you imagine. Asking questions to get people to open-up about their desires - that’s selling. Listening to understand how you can fit – that’s selling. These are the first fundamentals. In other words, if you want your agenda passed or Congress people elected, or your sale, ask and listen. Push or try to convince and you’ll lose.

Once you know the wants, build your targeted proposal to give it to the majority, and the powerful. If you give it with less risk of failure or more assurance than you’re competitors, you’ll make the sale. If you can’t give it or you don’t have it, you’ll lose. It’s that simple. However, knowing you’ll lose is a good thing. You can minimize your losses and/or stop investing. The caveat is most competitors are not listening either. So the one that listens first – wins.

I believe President Bush feels in his heart he knows best what the American people need. Most unsuccessful sales people feel the same way. They are sincere in their mission, but there message is not accepted. No amount of jawboning will make it better. However, pulling the wants puts you in control. You can then decide how to proceed – or not.

So President Bush, if you do what you say you’ll do – listen – you’ll be back in control.

November 06, 2006

I’m sure you’ve heard the term “order taker” given to many sales people – especially from corporate engineering people who believe their products sell themselves. Well, there’s a lot of truth to this degradation. Unfortunately it’s correct most of the time because the prospect bought rather than the sales person sold - not that the sales person didn’t work hard. She probably did a presentation, with a song in her heart and a dance in her step. What differentiates selling from buying is control – who’s got it. See, she probably didn’t really know why the person bought. The prospect, for whatever reasons stayed engaged, saw a fit for himself and placed the order.

I was at a home show this weekend and got drawn into a cooking demonstration where pots, pans and bassomatics were being showcased. Well, I ended up buying $1800 of this stuff. Now the presenter probably thought he did a great job selling me. I’ll admit his demo was interesting. However, he didn’t have a clue of why I bought these $300 ea. 2-quart sauce pans. He did do one thing and did say another that triggered my desire to buy them. Had he known what these triggers of mine were, he probably could have worked me for another $1800. However, his approach after his demo was to keep pushing free add-on’s and how much I’d save if I bought more. These are not the reasons I ordered outrageously expensive water boilers. Thank God he didn’t ask me this simple question. “What did I say that made you stay to talk with me?” If he had, he would have known my Achilles heel.

Now I’d tell you why I bought, but if I leave you curious, maybe you’ll get the message to start trying to understand the “why” of why your prospects buy. If you learn why he let you into his office, or why he’s spending time with you, you’ll know the soft spot to convert prospect to customer.

So stop assuming you know why and what prospects want or should want. Let them tell you. Stop feeling you need to do a demo of your catalogue. Show them their triggers. Start digging for the why’s and what’s and you will then start taking lots of orders – and that’s selling.

Coming soon – showing you can deliver the why’s and what’s better than any alternative.